Hang Afzal Guru at the earliest: Digvijay Singh

Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru should be hanged at the earliest, senior Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh said on Wednesay, differing from the cautious attitude of the All India Congress Committee on the contentious issue.

"Supreme Court has given him the death sentence for the kind of crime he has committed. It should be done (carried out) at the earliest", Singh told reporters. His reaction was at variance with the Congress which steered clear of the clemency issue of Afzal Guru, saying it was a matter to be decided by the President, the centre and Delhi government as they had "all the facts".

"There is no need to comment... It is outside our purview," Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said at a press briefing when asked for the party's views on Guru's mercy petition and that his file has been going back and forth between the Delhi government and office of Lieutenant Governor Tejinder Khanna.

He said there are "competent people" in these institutions who will take the decision. The Delhi Government sent back the convict's mercy petition to the LG after incorporating some "minor clarifications".

The LG had sent back the file yesterday night seeking more clarification over the remark of the Delhi government, which had backed the death sentence but with a rider that the law and order implications should be closely examined while carrying out his execution.